slothian

His wikipedia entry confirms that, although the reference is unaccessable. It just struck me as odd initially that Jane would go from a starring/writing role to not being attached at all.

Nice car!

The 101 geek thing wasn't mentioned. Is that still happening?

It certainly implies that Thomas Jane is no longer a cert for the sequel. I still don't know if I thought he was good or bad, even if the movie as a whole was bad. I'll get round to reviewing it, although I'll probably hold it off until nearer the sequel's release (as I did for the X-Men films, and will do for the Batman series). Same with Hulk. If Edgar Wright is directing Ant-Man, I'd have NO qualms about them pulling a "Mask" and using it as a star vehicle for Simon Pegg. Mainly because, whilst Marvel heroes have substantially more fan pressure to have their characters treated properly, this is a hero who is under the radar of the general public enough to have a humourous treatment. Not neccessarily a parody (because we have an upcoming Superhero! from David Zucker to enjoy) but a film that takes a different angle on a minor character. Treating a minor hero with reverance does not always make for the most memorable of films (hello there Ghost Rider!!).

Another good'un, chaps. Two Scarecrows, two origins and a Batman backstory - can't argue with that! I really need to re-watch the Mad Hatter episode - James' enthusiasm + critical acclaim has really made me want to see it again!!!

That factoid was in the back of my head during recording and I almost mentioned it, but I wasn't sure of its validity. So it was left unsaid. That's the exact reason I'm hesitant to put 101 out this upcoming week. Listeners will need at least a week to go through 100, and I don't want to hit them with another long episode right away. Not to blow my own trumpet too much, but I imparted that small tidbit in my review during Ep. 94!!! Still, for karma-based balance, that seg also contains my review of Ghost Rider, where I fucked up slightly!! And yeah, I'd hold off on 101 for a week. That way I can get round to adding my geeky list noe that my exams are all finished. Heck, even if I'm too late, this ep is huge enough to justify a slight break in production!!

I love how Sherri Moon Zombie is billed second when she plays Michael's mother. Nepotism bugs me at the best of times and when it relates to Mr & Mrs Zombie, I hate it more.

I'm going to add bits in as we go along. (Finished!) - You're welcome for my many token contributions! - PLEASE bring back the Crappy Sequels columns! I can't find your review of Crow: City of Angels anywhere, but I loved the plot holes and inconsistencies getting pointed out angrily. Which is why I like James' reviews so much! As a side note, my girlfriend is getting me the original Batman films boxset so hands off Batman and Robin - that's mine to rant about!!! Plus, I feel glad for not paying money for that! - Cartoon: It was the Technodrome. And it REALLY sounded odd to hear the US theme given the whole Ninja/Hero thing. - Shredd Media: Des, you didn't mention the Pink Panther?!?!?!? Just kidding, fun seg. That comic with Brits as fish sounds bizarre but conceptually, it sounds great. Oh, and Vanilla Ice on a podcast automatically = 10/10. :happy: - Turtles #1 - I also thought the Chief was implied to be corrupt but it went nowhere. I agreed with a lot of this in my review, even if mine was a lot more concise! I'm satisfied with my seven rating - it's a good film, but only through excessive geekness (which was your disclaimer at the beginning) is it worth a 5/5. You're wearing geek goggles, Mike, and you're wearing them proudly!!!! And yes, the claustrophobic joke is the best of the film! Although my sister loved the "I made a funny!" line at the end. - Kellen - The Next Mutation was GARBAGE - way too Power Rangers in style, which is a bad thing. The other cartoon sounds really good and was probably better than the original one I was hooked. Might check it out soon-ish. - Turtles #2 - I don't remember this film at all. I'll buy it!!! Although I don't know about international transit costs.... Anyway, it sounds like a hell of a trainwreck; must've been bad to make Mike drop the C-bomb! - Dubs returns!!!! And he loves the chery coke!!!! I don't think me or my brother ever got past the dam level on the 1st Turtles game - that was "dam" near impossible!!! :laugh: - Turtles #3 - And that just sounds confusing! Turtles & Time Travel? Craziness. I never actually saw this one. - TMNT (CR) - Mine. - TMNT - Hmm - I really didn't get that Leonardo killed those guys but hey, he could've! Yeah, I really wouldn't be surprised if this was the best of the franchise. It beats the original film and I'll take your word that parts 2 and 3 don't come close. Des Again!! - Sorry to hear about your friend. And yes, congrats very much to Mike & Jen for this episode; the culmination of a lot of (enjoyable, hopefully!) hard work over the last year and a half. You rule!

Holy cow, that's long!!!!!

Another good ep, chaps. Particularly liked your critique of 'Feat of Clay' which is a favourite of mine.

Nope, I think you've covered my queries amply! And I am definitely sigging that top bit!

I'd hardly criticise a full column by posting "You're wrong, fuck you!" :happy: Especially as we don't seem to be coming from completely opposite angles on this. I think things just go in cycles. You get one original horror film and then a stream of like-minded films follow on. It seems right now that films either have to be gore-tastic or playing for laughs (you're right, Rob Zombie doesn't know what the hell he's doing, apart from finding more ways for him & his wife to get paid). I guess the challenge is to find the next original way of terrifying audiences. She is still alive, you know.... :devil: I see the point you're making, I just don't know how you could take current events and inject them subtly without a critic standing and yelling "LOOK, IT'S POLITICAL!!!!" and then trash it because they're of a different ideology. I don't know if a bad review makes a bad film (although I imagine few horror films get a good rep these days) but flicking down Metacritic for the recent 28 Weeks Later, I did see Iraq mentioned a lot. Ok, a group of marines being captured and beheaded one by one as they try to escape sounds more horrific than the recent Black Christmas, but would it get distributed? Not at all. I'm completely sober and I reckon my above meandering point is something you will explain to me - I'm not sure whether that's what you were basically saying, in a more informed way.

3hrs, 42 mins

Well-presented as your argument is, I found myself disagreeing with a few things in this column. I assure you this isn't petty retribution for your countepoints to my Spider-Man 3 review; I just have very particular horror tastes. I don't like the modern grotesque, or what Mike would call "gore for gore's sake" in the Saw franchise. Personally, I actually do find a blowtorch to the eye being more horrific than masturbation with a crucifix. I don't like the current emphasis in US horror on drawn out physical suffering, whether it results in death or not. Case in point, when I saw 'The Devil's Rejects', I had to leave briefly. Alright, the kidnapped victims of Baby and Otis weren't really physically tortured before they were killed, but I much prefer the obliviousness before death (Friday 13th/any teen slasher) than the killers being in the face of their prey for 10 minutes-half an hour, or even most of the film depending on what it is. I find those films disturbing, yes, but in a different way to the J-horror you mention. The Ringu films invoke horror in its audience by being originally creepy and deploying a whole manner of audio/visual techniques to creep them out. Hostel and Wolf Creek and the Saw films are horror films because they show, graphically, the experience of the victims. People aren't scared or particularly shocked by these actions but repulsed by the depths the villains stoop to. Even without particularly caring for the slaughtered characters, which can be a problem; Rob Zombie in particular holds up his murderous flock as anti-heroes when they're nothing of the sort. A horror villain, in my opinion, should not be loveable or sympathetic. I like my Freddy when he's keeping the jokes to the minimum and playing up the fact he's an incurable paedophile, not busting out a rap or killing people by video games whilst laughing. The Hellraiser series is very gory, but the few films I have seen has always had a reason for its gore (and limited Pinhead's screentime, which is artistically, if not commercially, commendable). I guess my view is that if graphic violence is what passes for mainstream horror nowadays, I'm not very impressed. Don't get me wrong, Freddy/Jason/Michael and the like have had their onscreen gruesome kills, but they were achieved quickly. Drawn-out deaths seem to be consciously testing the audience's tolerance levels in a way that isn't terrifying like of old, just horrific. Good article mate; I just disagree.

Actually, I think you'll find I rated it 7.5!!! As I said at the start, I'll be expanding upon my ratings system in the near future (in written form). As for the highness in general...put it down to my British politeness! (Damn, I need to play down the nationality card sooner or later). Ouch! Good effects, yes. Add in some nice references, some good performancs (more from the supporting cast than the main characters, but the point still stands) and some nice action sequences. I stand by the review's positives, whilst I admit that this was the worst of the trilogy. They simply tried to do too much. I've read your thoughts on this film and I guess we'll agree to disagree on that matter. I'd be interested to hear your opinions on the other two Spidey films though - the Raimi dislike is an interesting take on how the franchise has been handled. Can't say I've seen too much of his other work, but before #3, I thought his handling was pretty much superb (other than the 'everyone finds out Spidey's Peter/all the villains "die"' point I mentioned). Spider-Man 3 troubled me quite a bit. It was a movie I liked, but didn't love, which was majorly disappointing. Critics are calling all "Threequels" as being disappointing content-wise and I'm inclined to agree (X-Men 3). The thing is, I like Raimi's style too much with these films to declare it worse than Ghost Rider or Daredevil (again, ouch!). Again, I'll try and explain myself fully when I pen my debut column (should be ready within a couple of weeks) but being unable to find any enjoyment out of this film is something I just cannot understand.

Boy, you're going to hate my review! Spider-Man 2 is right up there, but I'd probably rank X2 as the best CBM movie to date. Batman Begins and the original Superman are on a par with Spidey 2 - I'll probably do some reviews of those films after the summer to determine where they rank on my list. Anyway, proper feedback! I am REALLY glad I listened to this review before recording my own Spider-Man 3 review. Mike's take on it gave me counterpoints to add in whilst the MJ debate was really well done - as such, I think I took five minutes talking about the weakest character in the film!!! Personally, I enjoyed the film and despite the clutter, it was in no way worth 4/10 (remember, I originally rated Supeman Returns a 7!!! That's soon to change, as I'll explain when my segment airs). Unquestionably the weakest in the trilogy, but compare it to some other films and you'll see that, in context, it's a good CBM film, albeit with major flaws. Dread Media was fun too - as a self-confessed coward, I'm surprised that I remember watching the original Hellraiser film one evening, given that it's damn cover kept me out of video shops for 5 years! The remake will be interesting, especially if Clive Barker gets involved and the film is kept out of the hands of "directors" like Rob Zombie/Paul W.S Anderson/James's favourite, Uwe Boll. :devil:

Just to clarify....you want individual lists naming 101 geek aspects?!?!?

Good set of reviews, guys! Heat of Ice is deserving of a ten in my opinion - that's pretty much a perfect episode. Question: do you know of a stream site with these episodes on? I once stumbled across one that had pretty much every ep available until the URL changed. I only ask because I refuse to torrent and I'm a tad poor to be buying the DVD at the moment. Apart from Heart of Ice and the Cat & Claw, I don't think I've seen the other three.

Updates! Eric Roberts has been cast as Sal Maroni, the guy who helps create Two Face. On the subject of which, TDK now has its own website. Apart from a new banner, all it leads to is this when you click on it. Interesting look at Dent. I always imagine him being a brunette, just because a blonde Two Face seems odd. Still, it's something for those of us who are HUNGRY for this film!

I finally caught this on Saturday and whilst I won't go into it too much here, as I have a podcast to contribute to, I liked it. Not LOVED it like I did 1 or 2 but I would gladly see it again many times. Essentially it was a film that tried to do too much, taking two potential great movies and compressing them into one lesser film, compromising certain things to the horror of actual comic readers (of which I'm not).

Another reason I voted against "Daily" - with the greatest respect to any podcast producer, it's damn hard to keep up the "workrate" of anything daily. Fortnightly is totally understandable. On the same lines, I'm sure I promised a segment three weeks ago. Shall be done ASAP!

Have I been entered into the trivia contest by default? Fun little episode. I was a bit young when He-Man was huge but I've seen a few episodes, and this was great fun. In wrestling, He-Man's moralising would have got him Rocky Johnson '97 boos! And Orko would've been Eugene...

Interesting set of reviews. Despite not being much of a comic reader, I always seem more drawn to the characters of the DC Universe rather than that of Marvel, so its interesting to see how someone who's the opposite (and knows tons more) takes to a huge collection of DC characters and how they're used.

Heh, sneaky way of starting the WFP!!! That said, I guess you would need to start from the beginning...

You might find that's Christian Bale actually. Not a knock on Norton, I just prefer Bale. On topic: Norton's quite a coup if the reports are accurate. Bana did a good job in the first film, but Norton is a much better actor. I just hope they don't overdo the action in this one as the actor in question lends himself so much better to the nuances of Banner.